Chapter 32

Sophie

Andrew’s words echoed in my ears as we kissed. His lips danced over mine, and his tongue slid playfully inside my mouth. I moaned and pressed myself harder against him. I wrapped my arms around his body and held on tightly. After two months apart, I didn’t want anything to separate us.

“I love you,” Andrew said. “I love you so fucking much.”

The past few weeks had been hell on my body and my mind. I was sick, throwing up almost every morning. My body was weak from the pregnancy, and my head spun as I realized how much my life was about to change. The second the doctor confirmed my suspicions, I could think of nothing else.

I should have told Andrew immediately, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to show up at his house and completely change his life. It broke my heart to go through those first couple of weeks alone. I missed Andrew more than ever. Both my heart and my mind called out to him. I prayed every night that he would magically show up at my door and take me in his arms. I knew that he, more than anyone, would make everything okay again.

Still, when I finally told him, I was terrified of his reaction. What if he was angry? What if he kicked me out of his house? These fears and more overwhelmed me as I tried to find the right words. I didn’t know how to explain myself, so I just blurted it out.

I said the words, and then, it was too late to take them back.

Those first few seconds of silence were torturous. I stared at Andrew’s face and waited for him to speak. I prayed his words would be kind, gentle. More than anything, I just hoped he wouldn’t be too angry that I’d kept such a huge secret from him.

He wasn’t.

“I love you.”

Those were his words.

“I love you.”

The second I heard them, my entire world changed. I clung to his voice, memorizing everything about that moment. His voice. His eyes. His expression. The softness of his touch when he reached out for my stomach.

Andrew loved me. It was more than I could hope for. And he loved our baby. It was evident in every line of his face as he stared at my stomach. His eyes filled with emotion as the truth sank in. And when he kissed me, it was like all my dreams were finally coming true.

We couldn’t stop kissing.

Andrew walked us backward toward his bed, and our lips never once parted ways. The kiss was soft at first, sweet and gentle. The longer we held each other, the deeper the kiss became. I poured every emotion I had into Andrew. I remembered all the nights I’d cried alone in my room, terrified of raising a baby by myself. I thought about the first time I heard our baby’s heartbeat and how badly I wanted Andrew to hear it, too.

Most of all, I realized how much I loved this man. As we kissed, my heart burst wide open, and I felt fresh tears spring to my eyes. Andrew’s arms were wrapped protectively around my waist, his hands pressed against the small of my back. I stretched up to run my fingers through the small hairs at the back of his neck.

Andrew shivered at my touch, taking another step toward the bed.

The back of my legs hit the bedframe, but Andrew didn’t stop there. He laid me down on the bed, moving so slowly that I was sure he was afraid to hurt me. Every touch he laid on my skin was careful and precise. He’d never been so caring with my body.

“I love you,” he said again. He kissed my neck, letting his tongue tease my skin. “I love you.”

“I love you so much,” I breathed. “I always have.”

Andrew moaned at my words and kissed my neck again. He was holding himself back, and this time, I loved him for it.

My body was sore and exhausted from pregnancy. Morning sickness had plagued me for weeks. I was tired and weak, but being with Andrew sent waves of energy shooting through my body. I felt more alive than I had in two months.

I wrapped my legs around Andrew’s waist and pulled him against me. He held himself up with his arms, not wanting to put any weight on my stomach.

“Come here,” I said, pulling his face back to mine.

We kissed again, harder this time. My body was beginning to take over. I wanted Andrew so badly. After two months of being apart, I needed to feel him inside of me. I couldn’t take another second of anticipation.

I moved my hands to Andrew’s pants and frantically unbuttoned them. He kissed my neck roughly and fumbled with my t-shirt. It was like a light switch had been flipped for both of us. We sat up just enough to tear each other’s clothes off and throw them in a pile on the floor.

Finally, I felt Andrew’s skin against mine. He pressed himself against my body, and I groaned at the pressure. I’d waited long enough to feel this way again.

Andrew’s arms circled around my body as he lifted me up to kiss my lips again. I barely knew what was happening as our bodies melted into each other. Andrew slid inside of me and kissed me again, sending shivers cascading down my spine.

We moved together without effort. Andrew buried himself so deeply inside of me that I lost myself completely. Our bodies were no longer separate. Andrew was inside of me and all around me. He overwhelmed my every sense. I couldn’t think. I could barely breathe. Andrew’s body took me over.

He moved his hips forward gently, rocking us both back and forth slowly. My body shook, and my breathing was ragged, but I didn’t care. Andrew’s lips never left mine. He kissed me softly. Our tongues tangled together. Just like the rest of our bodies, they became one entity, one being.

My body and soul were so full of Andrew’s presence that I lost focus on reality. Andrew moved inside of me, thrusting his hips forward, but I barely felt it. All I felt was a deep sense of need inside my chest. I clung to Andrew’s back, digging my nails into him as my body shook with an orgasm I didn’t realize was coming.

“I love you,” I whispered, tears sliding down my cheeks.

Andrew finally pulled away from my lips. He kissed my cheeks, then my forehead, as he continued to take me slower than ever before.

Pleasure coursed through my body for minutes at a time. Each orgasm that Andrew brought on was stronger than the last. I didn’t even know what he was doing, but it was amazing. Incredible. Every move he made was like pure ecstasy.

“Sophie,” Andrew breathed as his body began to tremble.

I could feel him move inside of me. He twitched and shook, his entire body shivering with the pleasure that was about to come.

“Sophie.”

I looked into Andrew’s eyes and saw something I’d never seen before. He wasn’t yet crying, but he was seconds away. His eyes were full of emotion. So much that it brought a lump to my throat. I kissed his lips roughly, making him moan and sink deeper into me.

When he came, it was soft and intense. He moaned and cried out, whispering my name over and over until the pleasure faded from his body.

Even after we were done, neither of us moved a muscle. Andrew stayed on top of me. He was still buried inside of me, my legs wrapped firmly around his waist. I couldn’t have moved if I wanted to. It was like we’d been permanently fused together, and neither of us wanted to break the connection.

“I can’t stop saying it,” Andrew said. “I love you.”

He kissed my forehead, and I sighed, fresh tears washing over my face. I’d never cried so much in my life. I didn’t know if it was the hormones or simply the joy of being back with Andrew. Whatever it was, water continued to fall from my eyes as Andrew held me tightly against him.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Andrew pulled himself off me. I whined in protest and frantically grabbed at his arms. I hated being separated from him, but Andrew didn’t let me get far. As he laid down on his back, he pulled me with him, wrapping his arm around my naked body and pressing my head against his chest.

He kissed the top of my head and sighed as we snuggled on the bed. I was cold, but I didn’t want to move enough to grab a blanket. I let Andrew’s body warm mine, and it was more than enough.

“Are you feeling okay?” Andrew asked softly. “Have you been sick or anything?”

“I’ve had morning sickness,” I said. “Nothing too horrible, though.”

“Did the doctor give you anything for it?” Andrew asked.

“He offered,” I said. “But I refused. I don’t want the baby to get any medicine it doesn’t need. I can suck it up for a few months.”

“Sophie, if you’re feeling bad…”

“I’ll be fine,” I said with a laugh. “Right now, I’ve never felt better.”

Andrew sighed and pulled me closer, his fingers tracing lines along my arm. I’d never felt safer in my entire life. For the first time since I found out about the baby, I knew everything would be okay.

Andrew and I were going to be a family. We were going to have this baby and love it endlessly. Our entire lives would change forever, but I didn’t care. I knew Andrew didn’t, either. We were both so happy that nothing else mattered.

“I can’t believe this is really happening,” Andrew said with a soft laugh. “It feels like a dream.”

“I know,” I said. “I’ve been living in denial for two weeks.”

“But you’re happy, right?” Andrew asked nervously. “I mean, this is what you want?”

“More than anything,” I said. “But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t scary.”

“I know,” Andrew said. “We’ll get through it together.”

“I was afraid you’d be angry,” I said. “That you wouldn’t want the baby. Or me. After what happened.”

“I never stopped wanting you,” Andrew said. “Even when I was angry, even when we were yelling at each other, I always knew you were the one person I could really love. Sophie, it was always supposed to be you.”

I looked up to meet Andrew’s gaze. He meant every word he said, and it was enough to bring even more tears to my eyes. I felt like I’d never stop crying, but I didn’t mind. I’d finally gotten everything I’d been hoping for.

As Andrew held me that night, I let myself relax for the first time in months. It was as if everything had fallen into place. Not only was I in the arms of the man I loved, but I was carrying his child. I never knew this was my dream until it came true.

I felt Andrew fall asleep beneath me. His breathing became steady, and soft snores rippled from his chest. He held onto me even in his sleep, never letting me stray too far away.

It took me a while before I could fall asleep, but I didn’t mind. I would have laid awake all night if it meant being in Andrew’s arms. I buried my face in his chest and breathed in his scent, memorizing everything about the moment.

When my exhaustion became too strong, I snuggled closer to Andrew’s side and closed my eyes. I knew we’d have more time together in the morning. And the next day. And the next.

Being with Andrew was exactly where I was meant to be. It took me a while to realize it, but once I did, I never left his side again.